diff --git a/src/distill-receipt.js b/src/distill-receipt.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..085ba3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/distill-receipt.js
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+// Copyright (c) 2026 EvoMap
+
+// Transport success is not a receipt that persist:true stored both artifacts.
+export function outcomeOfDistill(result, usage) {
+  const data = result?.data;
+  if (!result?.ok) return { status: 'failed', error: String(result?.error), usage };
+  const hasId = asset => typeof asset?.asset_id === 'string' && asset.asset_id.trim().length > 0;
+  if (data?.ok !== true || data.status !== 'stored' || !hasId(data.gene) || !hasId(data.capsule) || data.quality?.ok === false) {
+    return { status: 'failed', error: String(data?.reason ?? `distill_not_persisted:${data?.status ?? 'unknown'}`), data, usage };
+  }
+  return { status: 'sent', data, usage };
+}
diff --git a/src/session-distill.js b/src/session-distill.js
index e21395b..1b2b0a9 100644
--- a/src/session-distill.js
+++ b/src/session-distill.js
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { outcomeOfDistill } from './distill-receipt.js';
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
 // Copyright (c) 2026 EvoMap
 
@@ -230,7 +231,7 @@ export async function distillCandidate({ proxyFetch, llm, candidate, focus, time
     if (!args) return { status: 'unparsed', usage };
     if (cancel?.aborted || !isCurrent()) return { status: 'dropped', usage };
     const result = await proxyFetch('POST', '/conversation/distill', distillBody(candidate, args, usage), signal);
-    return result?.ok ? { status: 'sent', usage, data: result.data } : { status: 'failed', error: String(result?.error) };
+    return outcomeOfDistill(result, usage);
   } catch (error) {
     return { status: 'failed', error: String(error?.message ?? error) };
   }
diff --git a/test/distill-receipt.test.js b/test/distill-receipt.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b86cc32
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/distill-receipt.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import { test } from 'node:test';
+import { outcomeOfDistill } from '../src/distill-receipt.js';
+
+const stored = { ok: true, status: 'stored', gene: { asset_id: 'gene_x' }, capsule: { asset_id: 'capsule_x' }, quality: { ok: true } };
+const usage = { input_tokens: 10, output_tokens: 20 };
+
+test('only a stored receipt with both artifact identities is sent', () => {
+  const result = outcomeOfDistill({ ok: true, data: stored }, usage);
+  assert.equal(result.status, 'sent');
+  assert.equal(result.data, stored);
+  assert.equal(result.usage, usage);
+  // Older stored receipts need not contain the optional quality field.
+  assert.equal(outcomeOfDistill({ ok: true, data: { ...stored, quality: undefined } }, usage).status, 'sent');
+});
+
+test('HTTP success with rejected, draft, malformed or incomplete data is not persisted', () => {
+  for (const data of [undefined, {}, { id: 'legacy-without-proof' }, { ok: false, reason: 'quality_gate' },
+    { ...stored, status: 'draft' }, { ...stored, status: 'rejected' }, { ...stored, quality: { ok: false } },
+    { ...stored, gene: null }, { ...stored, capsule: null }, { ...stored, gene: { asset_id: '  ' } },
+    { ...stored, capsule: { asset_id: 42 } }]) {
+    const outcome = outcomeOfDistill({ ok: true, data }, usage);
+    assert.equal(outcome.status, 'failed');
+    assert.equal(outcome.data, data);
+    assert.equal(outcome.usage, usage);
+  }
+});
+
+test('transport failure and business rejection preserve usage and the reason', () => {
+  assert.deepEqual(outcomeOfDistill({ ok: false, error: 'unreachable' }, usage), { status: 'failed', error: 'unreachable', usage });
+  assert.equal(outcomeOfDistill({ ok: true, data: { ok: false, reason: 'quality_gate' } }, usage).error, 'quality_gate');
+});
diff --git a/test/session-distill.test.js b/test/session-distill.test.js
index d8bfcde..309ef8a 100644
--- a/test/session-distill.test.js
+++ b/test/session-distill.test.js
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ test('a list the model wrote as one numbered paragraph becomes steps', () => {
 
 test('a candidate is distilled through the host model and sent to the Proxy with its own cost', async () => {
   const sent = [];
-  const proxyFetch = async (method, path, body) => { sent.push({ path, body }); return { ok: true, data: { id: 'gene_x' } }; };
+  const proxyFetch = async (method, path, body) => { sent.push({ path, body }); return { ok: true, data: { id: 'gene_x', ok: true, status: 'stored', gene: { asset_id: 'gene_x' }, capsule: { asset_id: 'capsule_x' } } }; };
   const candidate = candidateOf({ prompt: 'add a retry', record: record(), model: MODEL, turn: 1 });
   const llm = fakeLlm();
   const outcome = await distillCandidate({ proxyFetch, llm, candidate, timeoutMs: 1_000 });
@@ -181,7 +181,11 @@ async function harness(t, prefix, answerOf) {
   return { proxy, listeners, llm: ctx.llm };
 }
 
-const proxyAnswer = (assets = []) => (path) => (path === '/asset/fetch' ? { assets } : { recorded: true });
+const proxyAnswer = (assets = []) => (path) => {
+  if (path === '/asset/fetch') return { assets };
+  if (path === '/conversation/distill') return { ok: true, status: 'stored', gene: { asset_id: 'gene_x' }, capsule: { asset_id: 'capsule_x' } };
+  return { recorded: true };
+};
 
 async function verifiedTurn(listeners, agent, turn = 1) {
   await primedBy(listeners, agent, 'add a retry to the uploader', turn);
@@ -314,3 +318,18 @@ test("the next session reports a killed session's open strategies and distills i
   assert.equal(report.outcome, 'failed');
   assert.equal(llm.calls.length, 1);
 });
+
+test('an HTTP 200 rejection retains the candidate and its model usage for a retry', async (t) => {
+  t.after(freshHome('evolver-distill-receipt-'));
+  const candidate = candidateOf({ prompt: 'add a retry', record: record(), model: MODEL, turn: 1 });
+  rememberCandidate('receipt-rejected', candidate);
+  const outcome = await distillCandidate({
+    proxyFetch: async () => ({ ok: true, data: { ok: false, reason: 'quality_gate', status: 'rejected' } }),
+    llm: fakeLlm(), candidate, timeoutMs: 1_000,
+  });
+  assert.equal(outcome.status, 'failed');
+  assert.equal(outcome.error, 'quality_gate');
+  assert.ok(outcome.usage);
+  settleCandidate('receipt-rejected', candidate, { sent: outcome.status === 'sent' });
+  assert.equal(dueCandidates({ sessionId: 'receipt-rejected' })[0].candidate.attempts, 1);
+});